Resource and Environmental Management

Faculty of Environment

For more information, visit the School of Resource and Environmental Management website. 

Explore Your Possibilities

“Having a career goal really helps motivate students to succeed at school.” 81% of SFU students strongly agree or agree! (2025 Brainstorm Student Interests Report)

Explore the list of career outcomes below for ideas about what you can do with your major.  Some are actual roles held by SFU alumni, and others are occupations commonly associated with each major.  

Remember that knowledge from your major is just one thing you have to offer an employer.  As careers become less linear, changing direction ha become the norm. Don’t worry about where you’ll be in the future – just focus on your next job. Use these ideas as a starting point to make a list of possibilities you are curious about and lean into your interests, skills and values in your exploration.

Related to Major

Options commonly associated with the major

  • Habitat Restoration Technician
  • Recycling Sorter Attendant
  • Climate Policy Analyst
  • Fisheries Assistant Technician
  • Fair Trade Ambassador Coordinator
  • Microgreen Specialist
  • Impact Assessment Project Asst
  • Conservation Technician
  • Lands & Regulatory Coordinator
  • Forests, Lands & Natural Resources Resource Asst
  • Environmental Compliance Officer

Other Possibilities 

Job titles beyond the typical options

  • Wildlife Youth Program Intern
  • National Programs Coordinator
  • Research Assistant
  • Provincial Park Welcome Centre Attendant
  • Orchard Cone Picker
  • Planning Assistant
  • Parks Public Outreach Educator
  • Junior Program Coordinator
  • Food Systems Planning Assistant
  • Environmental Consultant

Further Education

Possibilities with additional education or training

  • Environmental Scientist
  • Land & Cultural Resources Director
  • Professor
  • Wildlife Biologist
  • Environmental Education Director

Fields of Work

There are numerous fields where you could find yourself following your undergraduate degree. For example:

  • Arts and Culture
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Manufacturing
  • Scientific and Technical
  • Telecommunications

What fields interest you? If you are uncertain, take the initiative and start exploring different fields. If your preferred fields turn out to not be what you expected, pause. Technology, climate change, automation, globalization and other factors may impact these fields and offer new or different opportunities.

The North American Industry Classification System gives you an overview of all industries and their subsectors.

WorkBC lets you browse careers, the education expectation, salary ranges, descriptions, and specific information about each job.

Core Skills (Major-Specific)

In the course of your undergraduate degree you’ll develop a wide array of skills. While many of these skills encompass essential skills important now, and for the future, you’ll also develop specialized knowledge and skills unique to your discipline learned through coursework.

Content knowledge and technical skills vary widely between occupations and are generally only used in one line of work. The type of skills that you’ll need depend on the scope of the work.

You want to understand what skills you developed and the one’s you want to use, so when someone asks you about your discipline content knowledge and skills you can speak clearly and confidently about them.

+ MAJOR Specific Skills

·      Acquire current knowledge regarding sustainable management to be able to make knowledgeable decisions about current environmental issues

·      Apply course concepts and tools to real-world environmental problems

·      Develop collaborative, interdisciplinary learning, decision-making and critical thinking skills.

·      Use critical thinking skills to evaluate and solve conflicting issues involving sustainable management of natural resources

·      Demonstrate an awareness of the key processes that drive population, community and ecosystem dynamics

·      Interpret, conduct, analyze, and apply methodological research and techniques to decisions about ecological systems, resource management, environmental monitoring, and land-use planning.

·      Challenge, understand, and develop your own assumptions and personal values regarding environmental and economic issues.

·      Define, identify, synthesize, and apply key theories and practices that inform environmental policy

·      Knowledge of computer programs and statistical applications to manipulate and display data, create graphs to visually represent information

·      Read and comprehend scientific journals, articles, and web-based materials

·      Comply with quality control procedures and safety regulations while conducting scientific experimentation

·      Be flexible by adapting to changing conditions and work assignments

·      Knowledge and appreciation of the various concepts of sustainability and sustainable futures

Foundational Skills

With ongoing economic, political and technological changes affecting the labour market, Canadians need diverse skills to thrive. According to the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025, in the next five years, 170 million jobs will be created and 92 million jobs will be displaced. Driving structural labour market shifts are macro trends that include digital access and adoption, an aging population and a greater focus on climate change solutions. 

Skills for Success 

·      Adaptability: The ability to adjust to changing circumstances and embrace new approaches. 

·      Collaboration: Effectively working with others to achieve common goals. 

·      Communication: Articulating ideas clearly, actively listening and understanding different perspectives. 

·      Creativity & Innovation: Generating novel ideas and solutions and being comfortable with experimentation. 

·      Digital: Proficiently using and managing digital tools and technologies for a range of tasks. 

·      Numeracy: Analyzing and interpreting data to make informed decisions. 

·      Problem Solving: Identifying challenges, analyzing information and implementing solutions. 

·      Reading: Comprehending and extracting information from various sources. 

·      Writing: Communicating effectively in written form for different purposes and audiences. 

These skills are highly valued and sought after by employers. You have likely developed a diverse range of these skills through your education, paid and volunteer roles, travel, and community activities. 

Government of Canada: Skills for Success

Get involved

There are plenty of opportunities to get involved in activities, events, programs and services outside of the classroom.  By engaging in student leadership programs, volunteering, paid work, student clubs and groups, you’ll develop new skills, make connections, and gain experience. It might even take you in a new career direction!

Get involved - Opportunities

Explore on-campus opportunities like workshops and events, as well as volunteer and paid positions.

myExperience

Access job and volunteer postings, and register for workshops and events. 

Co-operative Education

Want to gain experience and earn money while studying? Consider applying to the co-op program.

myInvolvement

Apply for on-campus volunteer and paid positions, participate in career and leadership development programs and workshops, and access your Co-Curricular Record.

Simon Fraser Student Society 

Not-for-profit network by students for students. Find student unions, clubs and other resources and services.

Related Professional Associations

Professional associations are a valuable resource for occupational research, work search and building connections. They may offer career information, job boards, networking, mentorship, volunteer opportunities and additional resources. Attend events as a guest, or as a Student Member.

Resources

Take your career exploration one step further by doing more research into the fields you're interested in. Here are some organizations and resources to get started.

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